Meal Swipes

Students pass items across the shelf in Herbie's Market at Village

Dining Services is pleased to offer meal swipes as a part of all meal plans. Meal swipes are accepted in all dining centers, Husker Heroes locations, Herbie's Market locations, and the Selleck Food Court.

Meal swipes used at any Herbie's Market location; or at the Abel Dining Center, the Selleck Food Court, and Husker Heroes via the Transact mobile ordering app, have a $10 value. Meal swipes are just one of the many great ways to use your meal plan and customize it to fit your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions about Meal Swipes

What's the difference between meal swipes and Dining Dollars? A meal swipe outside of an all-you-care-to-eat dining center is a cash equivalency, one swipe has a value of $10.00. You do not get change back on a meal swipe when used outside of an all-you-care-to-eat dining center. Dining Dollars allow you to pay the actual price of an item.
How many meal swipes do I get? For all meal plans, you can use two (2) meal swipes per meal period, up to a $10.00 value per swipe, for food items.
Are there lockout periods? Yes. Only two (2) meal swipes can be used in Herbie's Market per meal period.
How does a meal swipe differ from an NCard charge? A student's meal plan information is connected to their NCard, meaning if a student wishes to use a meal swipe in Herbie's Market, they must present their NCard to receive the $10 value. This differs from an NCard charge as a student can also use their NCard to charge for items in Herbie's Market which then appears on the student's centralized bill.
How much is a meal swipe worth? Each meal swipe has a $10 value towards food items in the Abel Dining Center, the Selleck Food Court, Husker Heroes, and Herbie's Market locations. Meal swipes can be can also be used at the Abel Dining Center, the Selleck Food Court, and Husker Heroes via the Transact mobile ordering app.
Can I use a meal swipe for something more than $10? Yes. Any amount over $10 can be paid for by using either Dining Dollars, another meal swipe (if applicable), NCard charge, credit card, and/or cash. For example, if the total amount due for food items is $12, you have the following options. Pay the entire amount using Dining Dollars, NCard charge, credit card, and/or cash. Use one meal swipe and pay the remaining $2 balance with either Dining Dollars, NCard charge, credit card, and/or cash.
What are the meal periods? Meal periods are as follows: Breakfast 6:45–10:30 a.m. Lunch 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Dinner 4:30–8:30 p.m. Late Night 8:30–11 p.m. Note: Meal periods do not directly correlate to when all dining service locations are open. View hours of service for various dining locations on the Dining Hours & Locations webpage.
Can I combine my meal swipe with a friend's to purchase more items? Only one NCard can be used per sale, meaning multiple students cannot combine their meal swipes to complete one sale/purchase. For example, if two students go to Herbie's Market to purchase $20 in food items, each student could not provide one meal swipe (each meal swipe being $10 in value) to cover the cost of the one sale/purchase. Only one student would be able to use their meal swipe(s) for the sale/purchase, by either using one (1) meal swipe and paying the difference out-of-pocket or by using two (2) meal swipes (if applicable).
Can I use meal swipes at the Nebraska Union and Nebraska East Union food vendor locations? No you cannot. To use your meal plan at the Nebraska Union or Nebraska East Union, you will use Dining Dollars through the mobile ordering app.